Zoës Kitchen
An American fast-casual restaurant brand serving Mediterranean-inspired food.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Zoës Kitchen was an American fast-casual restaurant chain built around Mediterranean-inspired food, including grilled meats, salads, sandwiches, pitas, dips, and other prepared dishes. Zoë and Marcus Cassimus founded the business in Homewood, Alabama, in 1995, opening the first restaurant in October of that year. The early company was family controlled and expanded gradually through company-operated locations rather than an initial franchise model. Its first stores were concentrated in the Birmingham area, followed by growth into other Alabama markets and then into Tennessee and additional Southern and Southwestern markets. The brand’s menu emphasized approachable Mediterranean flavors and a health-oriented fast-casual format. Typical offerings included chicken and other grilled proteins, hummus, Greek salad, pita sandwiches, roasted vegetables, soups, and combination meals. This positioning allowed Zoës Kitchen to compete in the expanding fast-casual restaurant segment while differentiating itself from conventional burger, fried-food, and sandwich chains. Catering, takeout, online ordering, and later mobile ordering became important parts of the operating model. By 2006, Zoës Kitchen operated 16 restaurants in several states, and the chain had reached approximately 20 stores by 2007. That year, Zoë and Marcus Cassimus sold a majority ownership stake to Brentwood Associates, a Los Angeles-based private-equity firm. Marcus Cassimus remained chief executive after the transaction, and the company discussed substantial future expansion. Financing from GE Capital Solutions in 2008 supported plans for additional restaurants in the Southeast and Southwest. Later in 2008, Cassimus resigned as chief executive and Greg Dollarhyde, previously associated with Baja Fresh, became CEO. Dollarhyde described a development strategy combining company-owned and franchised restaurants. The company expanded its digital capabilities with online ordering in 2011 and a mobile application in 2013. By 2013, the chain had grown to more than 200 restaurants across 17 states. During the preparation for a public offering, the corporate headquarters shifted from Birmingham to Plano, Texas. The company cited factors including easier travel, access to personnel, and the need to consolidate administrative operations. Zoës Kitchen completed an initial public offering in 2014, becoming a publicly traded restaurant company for several years. In August 2018, Cava Group agreed to acquire Zoës Kitchen for approximately $300 million, offering $12.50 per outstanding share. The transaction removed Zoës Kitchen from public trading and made it a subsidiary of Cava Group. Following the acquisition, Cava converted some Zoës locations into Cava restaurants, reducing the number of restaurants operating under the Zoës name. In September 2018, American Airlines announced Zoës Kitchen as a food partner for light snacks and food items served in the main cabin on its aircraft. The brand’s later footprint became substantially smaller. In January 2023, the closure of the Crestline Village restaurant in Mountain Brook, Alabama, left a downtown Birmingham location as the last reported Zoës Kitchen in the Birmingham metropolitan area. Other Birmingham-area locations had been converted to Cava restaurants, including the original Homewood site. After the Crestline closure, the Cassimus family announced plans, in partnership with Cava Group, to take over that location and restore the original 1995 Zoës menu. Because the sources describe both a Cava-owned legacy brand and a possible revived operation, the current scope and status of the Zoës Kitchen brand require verification.
History
Zoës Kitchen began in June 1995 when Zoë and Marcus Cassimus established Zoës Kitchen Inc. in Homewood, Alabama. The first restaurant opened in downtown Homewood in October 1995. The early business remained closely associated with the Cassimus family and did not initially rely on franchising. A second restaurant opened in Hoover's Riverchase area in 1999, followed by a Birmingham location in March 2001. The company then expanded beyond the Birmingham market, opening in Tuscaloosa in May 2001 and in Nashville, Tennessee, later that year. By 2006, Zoës operated 16 restaurants, including locations in Alabama, Phoenix, Nashville, Memphis, Baton Rouge, and Destin. The chain reached approximately 20 stores in 2007, when the Cassimus family sold a majority interest to Brentwood Associates. Marcus Cassimus remained chief executive, and the transaction was presented as a platform for further expansion, including potential franchising. In 2008, GE Capital Solutions provided financing reported to support the development of up to 50 additional restaurants in the Southeast and Southwest. Marcus Cassimus resigned as CEO in November 2008 and was succeeded by Greg Dollarhyde, a former Baja Fresh executive. Dollarhyde described a model in which most restaurants would remain company owned while a smaller portion would be franchised. The brand continued to add customer-ordering channels, launching online ordering in 2011 and a mobile app in 2013. It expanded to more than 200 locations across 17 states by 2013. During the preparation for its 2014 public offering, the company moved its reported headquarters from Birmingham to Plano, Texas. The stated reasons included travel convenience, recruitment considerations, and administrative consolidation ahead of the offering. Zoës Kitchen subsequently operated as a public restaurant company. Cava Group acquired Zoës Kitchen in August 2018 for approximately $300 million, with the offer structured at $12.50 per outstanding share. The transaction made Zoës Kitchen a subsidiary of Cava Group and ended its period as an independently traded public company. Cava later converted some former Zoës restaurants to the Cava concept, contributing to a smaller Zoës-branded footprint. In the same year, American Airlines named Zoës Kitchen its primary partner for light snack and food items served in main-cabin seats. By January 2023, the closure of the Crestline Village restaurant in Mountain Brook left a downtown Birmingham restaurant as the last reported Zoës location in the Birmingham metropolitan area. The original Homewood restaurant and another Birmingham-area site had been converted into Cava restaurants. Following the Crestline closure, Marcus Cassimus stated that his family, in partnership with Cava Group, would take over the location and seek to restore the original Zoës menu. The available reference material does not establish whether that revival became a continuing, broadly operating chain, so the brand's present operating status remains unverified.
- 2023
Reported local closure and proposed menu revival
[1]The Crestline Village location closes, while the Cassimus family announces plans to restore the original Zoës menu at the site in partnership with Cava Group.
- 2018
Acquisition by Cava Group
[1]Cava Group acquires Zoës Kitchen for approximately $300 million, making it a subsidiary and reducing its independent corporate status.
- 2014
Initial public offering
[1]Zoës Kitchen becomes publicly traded after reporting its headquarters in Plano, Texas.
- 2013
Mobile app launches
[1]Zoës introduces a mobile application while its restaurant network grows to more than 200 locations in 17 states.
- 2011
Online ordering launches
[1]The company adds online ordering to its customer-service and sales channels.
- 2007
Brentwood Associates acquires a majority stake
[1]The private-equity firm purchases majority ownership as the chain reaches about 20 restaurants.
- 2001
Expansion beyond the Birmingham area
[1]Zoës opens in Tuscaloosa and then enters its first out-of-state market with a Nashville location.
- 1995
Zoës Kitchen is founded in Homewood
[1]Zoë and Marcus Cassimus establish the company in Alabama, and the first restaurant opens in downtown Homewood in October.
Products and positioning
Accessible fast-casual dining centered on Mediterranean-inspired recipes, grilled proteins, fresh salads, customizable meals, takeout, and catering.
Entrees
Grilled chicken plates and meals
Grilled chicken and related Mediterranean-style plates formed a core part of the brand's menu. These meals were generally paired with salads, vegetables, rice, pita, hummus, or other sides, providing a faster and more accessible alternative to full-service Mediterranean dining.
Sandwiches
Pita sandwiches
Pita sandwiches were a signature fast-casual format for Zoës Kitchen, combining grilled proteins, vegetables, sauces, and Mediterranean accompaniments in a portable meal. They supported dine-in, takeout, and catering occasions.
Salads
Greek salad
Greek salad represented the brand's fresh, vegetable-forward positioning. The offering typically used Mediterranean ingredients and could be served as a standalone meal or alongside grilled proteins and pita-based items.
Sides and appetizers
Hummus and dips
Hummus and other Mediterranean dips functioned as core sides, accompaniments, and catering components. They helped establish the brand's identity beyond sandwiches and salads and were commonly paired with pita or vegetable sides.
Catering
Catering and boxed meals
Zoës Kitchen extended its restaurant menu into catering, offering group meals and boxed formats built around salads, pitas, grilled proteins, dips, and sides. Catering complemented the chain's online-ordering and takeout infrastructure.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018American Airlines main-cabin food partnership
United States
American Airlines announced Zoës Kitchen as its primary partner for light snack and food items served in main-cabin seats, extending the restaurant brand into airline food service.
Outcome. The reference material confirms the partnership announcement but does not document its duration or later performance.
Brand decisions
2023
Proposed restoration of the original Zoës menuStrategyBackground
The Crestline Village restaurant in Mountain Brook closed as the Zoës-branded footprint in the Birmingham area contracted after Cava conversions.
Action taken
The Cassimus family announced plans, in partnership with Cava Group, to take over the location and bring back the original 1995 Zoës menu.
Aftermath
The available source does not establish whether the proposed revival became a continuing operation.
2018
Cava Group acquisitionM&ABackground
Cava Group sought to acquire the Mediterranean fast-casual chain and combine it with its own restaurant platform.
Action taken
Cava Group agreed to purchase Zoës Kitchen for approximately $300 million at $12.50 per outstanding share.
Aftermath
Zoës became a Cava subsidiary, and some former Zoës restaurants were converted to Cava locations.
Acquisition consideration. $300 million announced transaction value (2018)
2014
Headquarters relocation and public offering preparationStrategyBackground
The company was preparing to become publicly traded and sought to consolidate administrative operations.
Action taken
Zoës Kitchen reported Plano, Texas, as its headquarters rather than Birmingham, citing travel, recruiting, and office-consolidation considerations.
Aftermath
The company completed an initial public offering and operated as a public restaurant business before its 2018 acquisition.
2007
Sale of majority ownership to Brentwood AssociatesM&ABackground
Zoës Kitchen had reached about 20 restaurants and sought capital and organizational support for further growth.
Action taken
The Cassimus family sold a majority ownership stake to Brentwood Associates, while Marcus Cassimus remained CEO.
Aftermath
The transaction was followed by expansion plans and later financing for additional stores.
Recent events
- 2023
Zoës Kitchen closes its Crestline Village location[1]
Other
The closure of the Mountain Brook, Alabama, restaurant reduced the brand's reported Birmingham-area presence to a downtown Birmingham location, while other nearby sites had become Cava restaurants.
- 2018
Cava Group agrees to acquire Zoës Kitchen[1]
M&A
Cava Group announced an approximately $300 million acquisition of Zoës Kitchen at $12.50 per outstanding share, bringing the brand into the Cava portfolio.
- 2018
American Airlines selects Zoës Kitchen as a food partner[1]
Campaign · Other
American Airlines announced that Zoës Kitchen would provide light snack and food items for passengers in its main cabin.
- 2014
Zoës Kitchen becomes a publicly traded company[1]
Other
The company completed an initial public offering after relocating its reported headquarters to Plano, Texas during the preparation process.
- 2013
Zoës Kitchen launches a mobile application[1]
Product launch
Zoës Kitchen introduced a mobile app, extending ordering and customer engagement beyond its restaurants and website.
- 2011
Zoës Kitchen introduces online ordering[1]
Product launch
The chain launched an online ordering service as part of its expansion of digital customer channels.
- 2008
Zoës Kitchen receives expansion financing[1]
Other
GE Capital Solutions provided financing reported as supporting the development of additional Zoës Kitchen restaurants in the Southeast and Southwest.
- 2008
Greg Dollarhyde becomes Zoës Kitchen chief executive[1]
Leadership change
Greg Dollarhyde replaced Marcus Cassimus as chief executive and discussed a development model combining company-owned and franchised restaurants.
Sources2 sources
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